Collection Item

Hawker Hunter F.Mk.51

Britain's most successful post-war fighter design, the Hawker Hunter was the standard RAF fighter of the 1950s. Total production (all versions) from 1951-1966 was 1,972 including 445 licence-built in Belgium and Holland. 429 Hunters were exported and over 700 others were refurbished or re-manufactured for at least 17 air forces overseas.

One of 30 aircraft exported to the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), this Hunter was built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston-upon-Thames and assembled at Dunsfold for first flight by David Lockspeiser on 4/5/56. Delivered to 724 Squadron at RDAF Aalborg in Denmark on 22/6/56 with serial number '47-421', later 'E-421', its full Danish history is obscure but it finally retired after 2,620 flying hours in July 1973.

In May 1976, after storage at Aalborg, E-421 was bought by Hawker Siddeley Aviation and went to Hatfield, Hertfordshire with a new identity 'G-9-443'. At Dunsfold in 1976-77, it next had five years at British Aerospace Kingston's Apprentice School before a loan to Brooklands Technical College in 1982-89. British Aerospace (Military Aircraft) Ltd then loaned the Hunter to Brooklands Museum and it was dismantled by volunteers and transported by National Rescue on 18/3/89. Volunteers have since replaced many missing external parts with help from British Aerospace and FLS Aerospace - Lovaux Ltd.